Hospital Bills - oh my

kvruns

Guessing others have started getting EOBs or bills from delivery and hospital stay. I was very curious for these to arrive to see just how much they charge for everything. 

My delivery and expenses: $35,500. The negotiated discount between hospital and insurance was about $22K leaving the actual charge to be $13K. Not to mention another $15k I think it expenses in the baby's name. So somewhere north of $50K billed for his delivery and care. 

That's just insane, I know the chicken and egg thing - does the hospital overcharge because of the insurance negotiated rates or what idk but it's crazy. 

What do your bills/EOBs look like?

m6agua

I was billed $14,000 for me and my insurance rate was $9,000. My daughter was $5,000 with the insurance rate $3,000. My daughter would have been about $500 less but a NICU doctor had to come down after birth to give her oxygen.

ETA. I did not have an epidural. I am guessing that helps keep cost down not having the extra doctor and meds to be billed.

rspalding001

My bill came to around $25K, I did have an epidural and stayed 2 nights in the hospital.

kvruns

m6agua said:

I was billed $14,000 for me and my insurance rate was $9,000. My daughter was $5,000 with the insurance rate $3,000. My daughter would have been about $500 less but a NICU doctor had to come down after birth to give her oxygen.

ETA. I did not have an epidural. I am guessing that helps keep cost down not having the extra doctor and meds to be billed.

Yea i had separate bills from the anthisiesologist (however you spell that) plus charges on my hospital bill for it which I think included epidural plus I had a C section so I know he had stuff there too 

SandNStarsNJ

Ours was just north of $44,000 and I had a nonmedicated, all natural birth with absolutely no complications.  In fact nurses commented on how easy we were for the whole stay; I never even had a Motrin!

Thank god for insurance. 

linnea625

OMG what did you guys end up paying out of pocket? I live in France and delivered at the most expensive hospital in the country (private hospital) and the total was around 13k of which I paid 2800 out of pocket and stayed 4 nights in a private room. In a public hospital here it would have been free and I would have stayed 3 nights. This was my first delivery - starting to think I should have all my kids here before moving back home to the US!

kvruns

@linnea625 I have really good insurance for maternity services so all my prenatal was covered with no copayment and delivery I pay a $175 hospital admittance and everything else is covered. I thought I'd get some separate bills for the LO but they seem to be covered too 

SandNStarsNJ

All but my first $15 copay was covered. 

MrsMaryK2016

I had great insurance but it got switched right before M was born so I basically got hosed. I honestly haven't totalled up my costs (I don't want to know) but it's probably around $7k out of pocket and probably $35k total (c-section). 

RhodaMorgenstern

@kvruns Are you or your spouse a federal employee? My husband is and we only paid the $175 co-pay for hospital admittance.

I still got a bill for $391 from my first trimester ultrasound. The insurance company said it was 100% covered so I think they were hoping I'd just pay the bill.

kvruns

Yep @RhodaMorgenstern my H is federal and we have the FEP Blue BCBS plan since it has such good maternity benefits. I used to be on a HDHP at my work which I was fine with but switched to his for 2016 bc it would save a ton if I got pregnant. 

leighry

MrsMaryK2016 said:

I had great insurance but it got switched right before M was born so I basically got hosed. I honestly haven't totalled up my costs (I don't want to know) but it's probably around $7k out of pocket and probably $35k total (c-section). 

7k out of pocket??? Yikes. Play that lottery girl.

MrsMaryK2016

leighry said:

MrsMaryK2016 said:

I had great insurance but it got switched right before M was born so I basically got hosed. I honestly haven't totalled up my costs (I don't want to know) but it's probably around $7k out of pocket and probably $35k total (c-section). 

7k out of pocket??? Yikes. Play that lottery girl.

Yeah note to self, don't have a baby right after open enrollment. Ugh. 

kvruns

MrsMaryK2016 said:

leighry said:

MrsMaryK2016 said:

I had great insurance but it got switched right before M was born so I basically got hosed. I honestly haven't totalled up my costs (I don't want to know) but it's probably around $7k out of pocket and probably $35k total (c-section). 

7k out of pocket??? Yikes. Play that lottery girl.

Yeah note to self, don't have a baby right after open enrollment. Ugh. 

If I was on my company insurance it would have been 6-8K because the single deductible is 3K and family is 6K and then out of pocket is capped at 8K and I'm guessing I would have hit that let alone prenatal stuff 

RhodaMorgenstern

@kvruns I was shocked at how good the maternity benefits were, especially since I've found a lot of the other coverage pretty crappy. I went to an urgent care because I thought I broke my foot. She literally looked at it, told me to see a podiatrist or go to the ER if it go to worse overnight. For that I paid $135 plus a copay.

kvruns

@RhodaMorgenstern I did just get a bill for $200 circumcision. It billed from the Dr. not the hospital charges. I kept thinking I should get billed for it and then never saw it So I started to wonder. 

RhodaMorgenstern

I'd call them about it because it might be an error. That's what happened with my ultrasound bill. The woman from FEP BCBS said they have an agreement in place, for maternity services (which at least included A's doctor visits and tests in the hospital), that the providers agree to accept whatever is paid as 100%.

kvruns

@RhodaMorgenstern I'm 99% sure it is legit bc I expected to pay a "surgery" copay for his circ based on what I read in the insurance certificate. Just surprised it took this long to bill 

kvruns

@RhodaMorgenstern did you receive a bunch of separate bills for your LO? The plan already paid a large bill for him and now we just had another large one come through but it was denied - right now no EOB so I can't see what it is for, it just says denied so I have to wait. I"m so tired of having to call and straighten all of this stuff out

RhodaMorgenstern

@kvruns from the hospital? No. We received EOB's for her well visits and a bill for $30 for her sick pediatrician visit but that's it. It is totally frustrating having to call all the time. I'm positive that offices send you a bill just hoping you'll pay it.

kvruns

Yea it's a new one from the hospital. They already billed 7600 in his name and now billed another $8700 which was denied. But of course the patient has to fix/investigate 

RhodaMorgenstern

That is insane, all the hospital charges should be covered. Is it for the doctor in the hospital or from the hospital itself? 

kvruns

RhodaMorgenstern said:

That is insane, all the hospital charges should be covered. Is it for the doctor in the hospital or from the hospital itself? 

I'm not sure bc I can't see a break down right now just shows the total amount billed. But it looks like it's from the hospital itself not a Dr. 

i thought inder our plan birth birth was covered but I might have to pay some of his actual charges at the 30% level but I'm not sure 

RhodaMorgenstern

That doesn't seem right. Have you called the FEP customer service number? I've found them really helpful.

kvruns

RhodaMorgenstern said:

That doesn't seem right. Have you called the FEP customer service number? I've found them really helpful.

I'm waiting to see what the hospital sends if anything after the denial. It's just so annoying! I work for a health insurance broker so I always say I don't know how regular people deal with this stuff when I at lest have more insight into some of it and have coworkers who could help sort it out